Chimney Rock on the Southern Ute Reservation

Description

On a tour of our National Parks in the western United States, our bus traveled through Southwest Colorado near Mesa Verde. As I looked out the window of our bus, I saw this monumental form rising from the earth jutting to the sky. The towering form, draped in deep shadow cast from the clouds above, created a breathtaking contrast with the sunlit landscape. This image has remained in my mind, and I felt the need to bring it to sight. I did not know the name of this formation for several years until I ran across an advertisement brochure on the Internet that described it by that name.

This “Chimney Rock,” however, is not the more famous national historic site located in western Nebraska. I depicted this landmark using a stylized approach, rather than my more familiar early Modernist sensibilities, encouraging the viewer to enjoy the beauty of this simple form in its setting.